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How to Use the Abandoned Colours in Your Go-To Eye Shadow Palette

A common issue we have with eye palettes is finding ourselves desperately scraping away at the final dust of our favourite colour while others remain completely untouched. While the beauty of purchasing a palette is that you can experiment with a bunch of different shades without having to purchase several individual compacts, there's something safe about sticking with a colour or two you know and trust. Well, not anymore—we're tossing that "safe" notion aside and venturing into the unchartered territory that is those untouched shades in our eye palettes (we're a dangerous bunch, aren't we?). All kidding aside, we found some great inspiration for how to wear the more obscure colours in your Naked palette or other favourite collection of shadows. Keep scrolling to learn more!

Black

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Imaxtree

Black may seem like a scary colour to dip into, but we promise it's much less intimidating than it seems. Take this look for example: Using a small, fluffy brush like Sephora Collection’s Precision Powder Brush ($18), dust a V shape along the outer corners of the eyes and halfway into the eye bone area. This creates definition and sets a moody tone without being too heavy.

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Imaxtree

Thinking about trying a smoky eye? Try this updated, subtler version: Dust a light layer of black from your palette (or really any deep hue, like purple, brown, or bronze) just below the lash line and up into the crease, similar to this tutorial.

Pink

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Imaxtree

Another intimidating colour is pink. Well, news flash: Pink eye shadow doesn’t have to read “Barbie”—go ahead and gently dust some onto your lids, especially if it’s a light, shimmery colour that can be brought down into the corner of the eye. Pink can also be subdued with other shadows in your palette, like champagne and nude, in case it's showing up a bit too bright.

Brown

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Imaxtree

How glam is this double-winged brown cat eye? In the above example (hi, Gigi!), brown shadow is dusted along the crease of the eye and just below the lash line for a smoky effect, while two wings were created on the outer corner. Dip a wet, thin brush into your shadow to create this look sans eye pencil (try the MAC Eye Liner Brush $37).

White

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Imaxtree

Brighten the inner corners of the eye with a white, preferably shimmery shadow like the example above, or try placing it all over the lid like this high-fashion look.

Gold

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Imaxtree

We're swooning over this shimmery metallic gold eye. Placed all over the lid and up into the eye bone, as well as into the inner corner of the eye and below the lash line, this gilded look is the perfect answer to How am I supposed to use the gold shadow in my palette?

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Imaxtree

Lightly swept into the tear duct area, gold opens up and brightens your eyes in the subtlest way.

Green

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Imaxtree

Green's a colour we usually reserve for Halloween or St. Patrick's Day, but the above image proves that it can be used as a substitute for the classic smoky eye without looking like costume makeup.

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Imaxtree

The forest green happening on the lids here is absolutely to die for. We imagine this hue complementing every eye colour and skin tone, so why don't you give it a try and let us know how it goes?

Purple

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Imaxtree

Not sure how to wear purple eye shadow? Try placing it just below the lash line as a subtle pop of colour. As mentioned before, wetting an eyeliner brush will allow for more vibrant, pigmented colour.

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Or, reverse the liner and bring it up to your top lash line for a chic purple cat eye.

Blue

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Imaxtree

Blue is another colour that looks stunning as a smoky eye—especially a slate-blue metallic shade like the look pictured above. Not into a smoky eye? A thin blue liner beneath the lower lash line is another great option for an unexpected pop of colour.